Remembering Dick Clark and His Charitable Endeavors

By Allyson Koerner | April 19, 2012

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Yesterday, we sadly lost the legendary Dick Clark who will always be remembered for his work on “American Bandstand” and helping others ring in the New Year by hosting his famous “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” show. However, he will never be forgotten for his charitable work, his love for animals and for just being an inspiration.

No matter how much work he had, Clark never missed an opportunity to spend time with his animals. According to The Pet Press, while visiting Dick Clark’s production offices in 2001, his dogs were seen resting and walking amongst the commotion. They were part of the office crew.

Clark never grew up with dogs, and the only pets he had were a chameleon and hamster. He got his first dog when he graduated college and got married. He loved them so much, at one time in his life he shared his home with five dogs at once.

Clark and his wife, Kari, were the true pet whisperers as they were known for rescuing dogs. One of their dogs, Bernardo (part Dachshund), was found and rescued on the streets of San Bernardino by the Clark’s. They also owned a stray, “Eleanor” named for The Beatles chart-topping song “Eleanor Rigby.”

“One of the things that I’ve learned from animals, and everybody who’s been in their company, is that they just return your love and they don’t ask for a lot. And that’s probably something we can learn as human beings,” Clark said.

“Be very open and be as loving as possible, and it comes back. And in as civilized an area as we live in, we should be very, very cognizant of the fact that overpopulation of dogs and cats is not a great idea. I don’t want to sound like Bob Barker, but he’s right. Take the steps to have your animals taken care of.”

In addition to his animals, Clark also made sure to lend a helping hand to others. In Chicago, he is remembered for helping a local charity raise nearly $50 million to find a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease. He and his wife continued to keep in touch with the charity and most recently sent another check.

Even after Clark had his stroke in 2004, that didn’t stop him from learning how to walk, talk and continue his hosting duties alongside Ryan Seacrest every New Year’s Eve. According to the Los Angeles Times, Clark “became a symbol of hope” for other stroke victims. Many are said to withdraw and struggle with depression, but after seeing Clark’s successful battle, he showed others to never give up and that it’s a process that takes time.

He was and still is a true inspiration to others. Clark died at 82-years-old after suffering a massive heart attack.